Momma Pepper
by ninjanervana
Summary: Every group has something that holds it together, acknowledged or unacknowledged, something that keeps the group from shattering into pieces, something to keep its members from scattering to the winds. For the Avengers, it's Pepper Potts. Multi-chapter story.
1. Pepper Potts

Hello everyone! It's your favorite ninja of the night back with a new story! Just remember that I don't own anything, I'm just a college student who needs to destress from school. This is gonna be a series of one-shots with each of the Avengers interacting with Pepper. Hope you all enjoy.

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Every group has something that holds it together, acknowledged or unacknowledged, something that keeps the group from shattering into pieces, something to keep its members from scattering to the winds. For the Avengers, it wasn't Director Fury with his surprisingly severe gaze from one eye as he ordered them all to stay close; it wasn't Coulson who returned after a few days' leave requesting written reports of what happened in New York; it wasn't Steve, the unofficial leader saying they all should stick together and watch each others' backs; it wasn't Tony offering Stark Tower as the temporary home of the Avengers until they figured out what they were going to do. What kept the Avengers together was Pepper Potts. The unofficial member of the Avengers, the only person who could wrangle the Avengers as well as Phil, the glue that held the bunch together. Without a conscious action, she kept the Avengers together when they would have drifted apart.

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Pepper rushed into the lobby of Stark Towers, her breath catching in her throat as she looked around at the carnage. The battle had ended about two hours earlier; it had taken a while to find a safe place to land the Stark jet and find a way into the city. Despite the car she managed to get a hold of, Pepper had to abandon it ten blocks from the Tower because of the debris, opting for walking the remainder of the distance. _'Thank god for ballet flats,' _she thought as she walked over to the elevator, her heels stowed in her bag.

"Come on, Jarvis, I need you this one time," Pepper muttered to herself, jabbing the elevator call button repeatedly. She was barely able to contain her panic and worry over Tony, constantly tapping her foot and fidgeting. After a few minutes, the elevator doors slid open, its polished condition a sharp contrast to the disaster zone that was the lobby. "Jarvis," she called as she stepped into the elevator, slipping her key into the control panel that allowed her to go up to the residential floor. "Are you there?"

"Yes, Ms. Potts," Jarvis replied pleasantly, his voice slightly garbled. The elevator began its slow ascent to the top floor, the occasional bump in its usually smooth ride sending Pepper's heart into palpitations.

"Where's Tony? Is he alright?" she asked worriedly, her hand running through her strawberry blonde hair.

"Mr. Stark is in the living room of the residential floor," Jarvis replied. "He has sustained some injuries during the battle, but my scans detect no life threatening injuries in need of immediate medical attention. He has, however, sustained a moderate concussion and should be monitored throughout the night. Medical attention is advised."

Jarvis's words calmed some of Pepper's worry, although she knew it would be a fight to get Tony to go to the hospital. She could hear Tony's voice the moment the elevator doors slid open, her eyes watering in relief as she headed in the direction of it.

"Seriously Bruce, was it necessary to leave Loki prints all over my nice marble floor?" Tony asked, shaking his head in mock sadness. The Avengers stood scattered around the destroyed living room, looking as if they were barely able to hold themselves up. After having shawarma they all headed back to Stark Tower, more from a lack of anything else to do than any real desire to see the nearly destroyed Tower.

"I'm sorry," Bruce replied sheepishly, "I didn't mean-"

"Tony!" Pepper cried as she laid eyes on the man she spent the past few hours worrying over; she barely registered the other people standing in the living room, all of them looking between her and Tony. She felt as if her knees would give out from relief as she looked at him, finally able to tell herself that he was okay.

"Pep!" Tony answered, a smile lighting up his face as he smiled at his girlfriend. "You missed my call."

Pepper ran across the room, dropping her bag as her body crashed into Tony's, her arms wrapping around him. As the scent of motor oil mixed with his cologne hit her nose, the scent the very essence of Tony, her tears overflowed her eyes, unable to hold them back any longer. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she said, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I was watching you on the television and my phone was on silent and I didn't see it ringing and then you were falling from the sky! What were you thinking?"

"Calm down, Peps," Tony said soothingly, rubbing her back. "I'm fine…for the most part. And we saved New York and beat the bad guy; that has to count for something right? And I tried that shawarma place I was telling you about; it was pretty good. I'll take you there sometime. I've gotta build a new suit too; mine is sort of…dead."

"And she is…?" Clint asked, looking away from Tony and Pepper to address the other Avengers.

"Pepper Potts," Natasha answered. "CEO of Stark Industries and personal assistant/girlfriend of Tony Stark."

"What is a girlfriend?" Thor asked curiously.

Pepper looked up at the sound of voices, startled by their presence. "Oh, hello," she said, wiping away her tears as she turned toward them, slipping into assistant mode. "I'm Pepper Potts; you all must be the Avengers."

"Oh right, roll call," Tony said, wrapping his arm around Pepper's shoulder as he extended his other arm to point at each person. "This is Capsicle, the Jolly Green Giant, Pikachu, Legolas, and Spider lady."

"Tony," Pepper chastised gently, elbowing his side. "I know their real names; it's nice to meet you all."

"Don't think we're too tired to hurt you, Stark," Natasha threatened. "It's nice to see you again, Pepper."

"Likewise Natasha," she answered. She looked at each Avenger, smiling at them warmly. She only knew them for sixty seconds, but she was already fond of the group; after all they brought Tony home safe to her. "You'll all be staying here, won't you? At least for tonight, you all must be exhausted." Pepper said this with such warmth and sincerity that the Avengers couldn't refuse her offer, all agreeing to stay the night.

"Great, rooms are down that hall. Just pick which ever one suits you," Tony said, leading Pepper away from the group. "I, for one, need someone to tend to my injuries and I know just the nurse to do it."

"Tony," Pepper laughed as they walked toward their bedroom.

"Well now I've seen everything," Clint muttered as he heard the door shut.

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Reviews please! Who should be the first chapter?


	2. Bruce's midnight escape

I'm glad you're all so excited about this story ^.^ It's been kicking around my head for a while, but after seeing Iron Man 3, I finally decided to write it down.

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Bruce quietly padded down the halls of the Tower, the constant whirling of the air system breaking the silence of the night. It was well after two in the morning and all of the Avengers had retired to their respective bedrooms for the night. It had been a week since the battle in New York and whether the Avengers wanted to or not, they were all slowly adjusting to living in Stark Tower. Or Avengers Tower as the media had named it. Each person had their own bedroom, filled with whatever meager personal items they owned; each person was recognized and addressed accordingly by Jarvis; each had adjusted to the routines of the other people. It was the closest thing to a home most of them had had in years. Which was why Bruce was leaving it, his backpack of possessions slung over his shoulder.

Pepper poked her head out of the kitchen as she head the elevator rising through the floor, wondering who could be awake at that hour. She was clad in a pair of shorts and one of Tony's many t-shirts, her red hair tied into a sloppy bun atop her head. After helping Tony get back to sleep after a nightmare, Pepper found herself unable to fall back asleep, deciding to grab a cup of tea to relax. "Hello?" she called, walking into the dimly lit hallway.

"Pepper!" Bruce said in surprise, his body drenched in the light of the open elevator doors. Part of him wanted to duck into the elevator quickly and disappear, but his manners prevented him from doing so; that would just raise the alarm and send the others out looking for him. "I didn't expect anyone to be awake at this hour."

"I couldn't sleep," she answered, her brow furrowing as her eyes landed on his backpack. "Going for a little stroll?"

"I was just-"

"You were just going to leave us all in the middle of the night to find out in the morning that you had left without a note or goodbye as much?" Pepper answered bluntly. Years of working for Tony had taught Pepper that it was best to get straight to the point; it saved everyone's time and you got your answers faster.

Bruce sighed, shaking his head in shame. "Pepper, I don't belong here," he said softly.

"Says who?" she retorted, her hands on her hips. "Come in here for a second, Bruce."

Bruce hesitated for a moment; while he may have wanted to step into the waiting elevator, Pepper's tone, much like a mother's before a scolding, left no room for debate. He set his bag down next to the elevator before following her into the kitchen, wondering what sort of tongue-lashing he was in for.

"Would you like a cup of tea?" Pepper asked, gesturing to the teapot on the stove. "It's chamomile; there's still some left if you'd like."

Bruce nodded his head, walking over to the cupboard and grabbing a cup. With his tea in hand, Bruce leaned against the table, standing across from Pepper. "Pepper, I-"

"Why do you think you have to leave, Bruce?" Pepper asked suddenly, sipping from her own cup of tea. "Why do you think you don't belong here?"

"Because I don't," he sighed, rubbing his hand across his face. "I'm dangerous, Pepper, I can hurt people. What happens if one day I get angry about something and I turn into the Other Guy? I could put all your lives in danger, I could kill one of you! I nearly killed Natasha in the helicarrier; it's a wonder she can even stand being in the same room with me." Bruce paused in his rant, forcing himself to take a deep breath. "You guys, you're good people, you're all really good people. And Tony, he's-"

"Nuts?" Pepper offered with a smile.

"Yes," Bruce chuckled. "But he's a great guy. You and him have been kind enough to welcome me into your home knowing what I am. I couldn't bear it if I ended up hurting either of you-"

"Have you met Tony?" Pepper asked, raising an eyebrow. "Dark hair, dark eyes, grease stains all over his shirts, chronically late to anything that doesn't involve saving the world or tinkering with his inventions. _He_ is more likely to hurt someone in the Tower than you are; I can't tell you how many times I've had to call the fire department when we lived in Malibu."

Bruce smiled slightly, appreciating Pepper's attempt at lightening the situation, but he wouldn't let himself be swayed so easily. There was a reason no one trusted him, why Fury built a containment cell for him; _he_ was dangerous even if Pepper refused to admit it. People like him were better off alone. "Pepper, you don't understand."

"Oh I understand perfectly," she answered easily. "But you aren't understanding me. I don't want you leaving nor does anyone else in the Tower. As a matter of fact, I'd prefer if you stuck to Tony's side like glue." Pepper raised her finger to stop him as he opened his mouth to argue. "Was it not the dangerous monster that you're talking about that saved Tony when he was falling out of the wormhole? That managed to jump into the air, catch him, and latch onto the side of the building without injuring him?" She paused, waiting to see if Bruce would argue with her. "I agree with you, the Hulk is dangerous, but I don't think he is to us."

"Pepper," Bruce groaned, running his hand through his hair. He hated her argument, hated that she made sense, hated that he wanted desperately to accept her reasoning and stay with a group of people that made him feel like less of a freak.

"I have a suggestion," she said lightly, a smile dancing on her lips. She had him on the ropes and she knew it. "Stay here for the rest of the month. If something happens, then you can go, I won't try to stop you. But if nothing happens, if there are no Hulk appearances, you have to consider staying here with us permanently. I know Tony can be a bit of a handful, but he loves having you around. What do you say, Bruce?" she asked, holding her hand out to him.

Bruce looked at her head, chuckling internally. He often wondered how Pepper managed to keep Tony under control, one of the most hyper active people he had ever seen, and now he understood it. He leaned forward, shaking her hand. "Just until the end of the month," he agreed, releasing her hand. He placed his empty cup into the sink, heading for the living room.

"Bruce," Pepper called out softly, causing the man to turn around. "You never really wanted to leave."

"What do you mean?" he asked in confusion.

"You didn't want to leave," she repeated, following him out of the kitchen into the living room. "Did you see which cup you chose to use? At least twenty different mugs were in that cupboard and you chose the same one you've been drinking out of since you got here, the dark blue mug with the green swirl design." Bruce continued staring at Pepper, his mouth agape. "Whether you want to admit it or not, you're setting down roots here, Bruce." Pepper squeezed his arm gently, smiling at him before heading down the hallway to her bedroom. "Sleep well, Bruce."

Bruce shook his head in amazement as he heard her bedroom door shut, picking up his bag from the floor before heading back to his room. "Thanks Pepper," he said softly.

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Reviews make me wanna write faster :) Let me know who you think should be next!


	3. Clint's nightmare

Pepper jerked awake with a start as a scream shattered the silence of the night, causing her heart to skip a beat in fear. A few moments later she heard the sound of a door opening and closing, followed by quick footsteps past her and Tony's bedroom.

It had been almost a month since the Avengers officially claimed the Tower as their home, their bedrooms remodeled to suit their own tastes. After spending so much time around them, Pepper had slowly become used to the nighttime habits of the group, including Clint's regular nightmares. She was used to being woken in the middle of the night by Clint's shouts, usually followed by the sound of Natasha's door opening as she left her room for Clint's. But Natasha had been cleared by SHIELD to start new missions, leaving Clint alone for the past two days to deal with his nightmares.

Pepper knew the battle of New York was affecting all of the Avengers, each of them dealing with their problems by themselves, but she couldn't stand the thought of Clint having to deal with his nightmares alone. Carefully removing herself from Tony's arms, Pepper climbed out of bed, grabbing a hoodie on her way out of the room.

"Jarvis, can you tell me where Clint is?" she asked, quietly shutting the door behind her.

"Mr. Barton is on the rooftop," Jarvis replied politely.

"Thank you, Jarvis," Pepper answered the AI, heading for the staircase to the roof. The wind whipped her red hair around her face as she pushed open the door, her eyes scanning the area for Clint. Her heart dropped into her feet as she spotted him sitting near the edge of the building, her palms sweating from nervousness. "Clint," she called softly, slowly approaching the assassin. She felt her heart beat faster as she moved closer to the edge, every instinct in her screaming to back away.

Clint turned around at the sound of Pepper's voice, his grey eyes filled with surprise. He heard the door to the roof open behind him, but he wasn't sure who would be coming through it. On a normal night he would have expected Natasha, but with her gone, he didn't think anyone would come after him. Still he wasn't turning down her company if she offered it. Although he had only known her for a month, Clint was fond of Pepper, of her take-charge attitude, her dry sense of humor, her calming presence. No matter what state the Tower was in, Pepper was like the eye of a storm, able to bring peace to any level of chaos.

"Pepper," he answered, turning back to look at the city lights. The wind blew gently, ruffling his hair as it made the night air cooler. "What are you doing up here?"

"I heard you screaming so I wanted to come check on you," Pepper answered, carefully seating herself on the edge of the building next to Clint. _'Don't look down, don't look down, don't look down,'_ she told herself, focusing her eyes on Clint.

"Really?" Clint said, his toned surprised. He hadn't expected anyone to actually care about him, no one besides Natasha. Although they all lived together, Clint still wondered if the other Avengers trusted him, cared about him. They hadn't met on the best of terms and first impressions tended to be lasting. "You didn't have to do that; it's late for you to be awake. It sucks to be up in the middle of the night."

"It sucks more to be awake in the middle of the night alone," Pepper retorted, smiling gently. They lapsed into a comfortable silence, filled with the cars driving stories below them. "Why are you sitting on the edge of the roof? Does it scare you?" she asked after a few minutes.

"Not really," Clint answered, shrugging his shoulders. "I think the only thing that scares me is Natasha," he joked. "Nah, if there's one place I'm comfortable it's on the edge of high building, takes me back to my circus days."

"You worked in a circus?" Pepper asked incredulously, raising an eyebrow. "I don't believe you."

Clint chuckled, "You know how everyone says they're gonna run away to the circus? I actually did it. I didn't have anywhere better to go so why not join one. Where did you think I learned archery; it's not exactly something they teach in physical education."

Pepper frowned, wondering what could have made Clint run away from his home; he had to have lived in horrible conditions to do something that drastic. "Was it fun?" she asked curiously. "Traveling with the circus."

"Sometimes it was, but sometimes it wasn't," he answered honestly, turning toward Pepper. "I'm glad for what it taught me but…it's not easy being a circus hand and it doesn't get better when you become a main act. It's not a life I would want for any kid. But the worst days of my life weren't lived there so I guess that counts for something." Clint's expression darkened, looking away from Pepper.

Pepper watched Clint, wondering what she should say. Even after a month, she really didn't know much about him. He was like Natasha; he preferred to be quiet about his past, choosing instead to focus on the present. "I suppose it would be stupid of me to ask what your nightmare was about," she declared.

"You suppose right," Clint answered dryly, stretching his arms overhead. He didn't want to talk about his nightmares, but he did feel better having someone to talk to, even if it was about nothing in particular. It felt good to know someone was there. "Always knew you were smarter than Stark, though for the life of me I can't figure out why you're with him."

Pepper laughed softly, her blue eyes tinkling with amusement. "I wonder that too sometimes, mostly when he pisses me off," she replied, stifling a yawn with the back of her hand. "But I love the idiot. We balance each other out well, my seriousness with his inability to act like an adult."

"Yeah, that sounds about right for Tony," Clint chuckled. "You should get back to him before he notices you're missing and sends out a search party."

Pepper nodded her head, carefully getting to her feet. She placed her hand on Clint's shoulder, squeezing it gently before she headed toward the staircase.

"Hey Pepper," Clint called as she reached the door. He waited until she turned back toward him, a small smile on his lips. "Thanks for looking for me."

Pepper smiled back at him, "You're part of a family now, Clint. An incredibly dysfunctional family filled with insane people, but a family all the same. Don't ever think you're alone," she said before heading through the door. "Night Clint."

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What did you guys think of this chapter? Who should be next? Reviews please!


	4. Steve's adventure

"Hey Steve," Pepper called as she walked into the living room, her heels clicking against the marble floors. Pepper was dressed for work, clad in her standard business suit and heels, her hair tied up in a bun.

Steve looked up from his sketchbook, turning to smile at Pepper. He pulled one of the couches over to the windowed wall, working on a sketch of his old Brooklyn neighborhood. Winter had come to New York, blanketing the city in layer after layer of white powder, forcing the city's inhabitants into scarves and heavy coats. "Hello Pepper," he answered easily. "How are you doing?"

"I'm alright," she answered, walking into the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee before joining him in the living room. She walked over to the couch, sitting next to him. "You're drawing earlier than usual today; it's only nine. You usually don't break out the sketchbook till after lunch."

After spending so much time in the Tower with the Avengers, Pepper had quickly memorized their schedules, much like she had when she first started working for Tony. She knew Steve was up at the crack of dawn to work out in the gym, an army habit he hadn't been able to break even after all these years. Bruce would be up and cooking by nine in the morning unless he had been up all night working in the lab with Tony. Clint and Natasha would be back for the morning run fifteen minutes before Bruce finished cooking. Thor walked around the city for two hours every afternoon, getting used to the city. And Steve didn't sketch before noon.

"Guess I'm just feeling a little bit nostalgic," Steve answered, shrugging his shoulders. _'Homesick is more like it,' _he thought, filling in the windows of the pizza shop he used to go to.

Pepper frowned slightly, disliking the lonely ache in his voice. "Could I see what you're drawing?" she asked politely, sipping her coffee. Steve handed the sketchbook to her, relaxing back against the couch. "Oh wow, is this where you grew up?" Pepper murmured, setting down her cup as she looked at the drawing. "This is beautiful, Steve; where did you learn to draw like this?"

Steve blushed faintly at Pepper's comment, shrugging his shoulders. "Yeah, that's the Brooklyn I know. When you're a scrawny kid prone to sickness, you have to find things to do that don't involve leaving your bed," he answered. "Had a lot of time to practice."

"Would you mind if I took a picture of it?" she asked, fishing in her bag for her cell phone.

"Not at all," Steve replied. "Though I don't know why you would want a picture of it. It's just Brooklyn."

"Yes, but it's a part of you and that's what makes it important," Pepper replied, handing him back the sketchbook. She got to her feet, tossing her phone back into her bag. "I'll be back in a few hours. Don't go anywhere today, okay?"

"Why not?" Steve asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"Just stick around the Tower today, please," Pepper called over her shoulder, heading toward the elevators.

"Turning into Stark with the not answering questions," Steve muttered, turning his attention back to his sketchbook.

* * *

Steve grabbed his phone off the kitchen counter as it began to vibrate, putting his empty dishes into the sink. "Hello?"

"Hey Steve, it's Pepper. Are you still at home?" she asked, her breath sounding rushed.

"Yeah, why?" he questioned. He spent the entire afternoon wondering why he wasn't allowed to leave the Tower, not that he had anywhere he wanted to go. All the changes in New York just made him feel like a bigger outsider.

"Great, I'm gonna be home in five minutes. Get dressed; we're going out. See you soon."

"But Pepper, where are we-" Steve's sentence was cut off as the phone call was ended. "Far too much time around Stark, Pepper," he said, walking to his room to change.

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"Where are we?" Steve asked as they got out of the subway. After Pepper got home, she practically dragged Steve to the nearest subway station, refusing to tell him where they were going or what was going on. Still he enjoyed the adventure with Pepper, the time spent just chatting with Pepper. She had a way of making you feel like you were an old friend, someone you had known for your entire lifetime.

"I'm not surprised you don't remember; a lot has changed," Pepper said, shoving her hands into the pockets of her jacket. "But some things never change." Pepper tugged him to a stop as they reached the corner of the street, pointing at a brownstone building in front of them.

"Tha-that's my house," Steve said, his eyes widening in surprise. "This is my neighborhood." Many of the stores had changed: families moved in and out, stores were opened and closed, businesses grew and shrunk, but Steve could feel it in his bones; this was his home.

"I thought you were feeling a bit home sick so I thought maybe a trip back would be just what the doctor ordered," Pepper explained, leading him further down the street. Steve was silent as they walked down the street, trusting Pepper to guide him around as his eyes devoured the sights like a starving man. "And I wondered if there were any places from your childhood that were still open, a piece of your life that had withstood the test of time. And then I found this bakery."

Steve looked up at the storefront, a smile tugging at his lips. "My mom used to bring me here as a kid," he said softly, pushing open the door. He stepped into the store, looking around. A few things about store had changed, like the tables and chairs and the wall colors, but the rest remained the same, the piece of his past that was just waiting for him to come back home. "Pepper…thank you," Steve said sincerely, turning to smile at him. "This is just…it's perfect."

Pepper returned his smile easily, glad she could do something to make him feel less like the man out of time. "Glad to help you, Captain," she answered, walking over to the bakery counter. "Now what kind of cake should I buy?"

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I just adore Steve; he's the sweetest thing. Reviews please. Who should be next?


	5. Thor's problems

Hey Readers! Sorry I've taken so long to post this chapter; I've had the worst writer's block ever.

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Pepper looked up at the ceiling as she heard a crack of thunder, pausing as she scooped a slice of lasagna out of the pan. On any other day, it would just be the sign of an approaching thunderstorm, but on a clear winter night in the Tower, that only meant one thing.

"Goldilocks is home," Tony said, taking another bite of his lasagna. "Just in time for family game night."

The Avengers sat scattered around the living room, each cradling their own plate of lasagna and bread sticks. Pepper had decided to take the day off from Stark Industries, choosing instead to cook up a storm in the well-stocked kitchen, tired of constantly eating takeout, which resulted in an Avengers family dinner, complete with mindless arguing, tossed objects, and plates of food. Earth's greatest defenders behaved like a bunch of five year olds most of the time.

"Hey Thor," Clint called as the Norse god descended the steps into the living room, Thor's normally cheerful expression dark.

"Greetings friends," Thor answered morosely, waving a hand in greeting.

"You're just in time for dinner," Pepper said, smiling at him. "There's some lasagna in the kitchen if you're hungry."

"Many thanks, Lady Pepper, but I have no appetite this evening; I shall retire to my room," Thor said, heading down the hallway to the bedrooms.

"But you're always hungry," Tony called out, earning an elbow to his ribs.

"Don't be a jerk, Stark," Natasha muttered, glaring at him. "Can't you see something's bothering him."

"Our golden ray of sunshine does seem to be more of a raincloud today," Tony commented. "Maybe all the inter-dimensional travel's made Pikachu a little queasy."

"Really need to stop with all the nicknames, Tony," Steve said, grabbing another bread stick.

"Are you just jealous that he has more nicknames than you, Capsicle?" Tony retorted, his comment setting off an argument about the necessity of nicknames and the uselessness of the names Tony had given them, forcing Pepper to referee before food was launched across the room.

"It's gonna be a long night," Pepper muttered to herself, wondering how Phil managed to do this during high pressure situations.

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Pepper knocked gently on Thor's door, carefully balancing the tray of food with her free hand. The halls were dark; the muted sound of the television could be faintly heard from the living room. Avengers family night had descended into chaos quickly after dinner; they discovered that putting a group of superheroes together to play competitive kids games was an incredibly bad idea. It resulted in Clint throwing his Monopoly piece across the room at Steve, Steve claiming that Natsha was stealing money from the bank, Tony insisting the game would be more fun if they bought up an actual neighborhood and played with real buildings and Bruce nearly Hulking out from all the tension._ 'Never again,' _Pepper told herself.

"Thor?" she called gently, opening his door a crack. "I brought you some food; I thought you might be hungry since you didn't eat."

"Come in, Lady Pepper," he answered.

Pepper pushed the door open, spotting Thor standing on the balcony. She shut the door behind her, placing the tray of food on the bed before joining him. Pepper stood quietly for a moment, watching as lightning danced across the sky. _'Wonder if Thor caused that?'_ she thought. "Is everything alright?" she asked, looking up at him. "You seem upset about something."

Thor shook his head, his blonde hair fanning out over his shoulders. "All is not well, Lady Pepper," Thor sighed sadly, his forearms leaning against the railing.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Pepper asked gently, mimicking his movement.

"It is my brother, Loki," he answered.

Pepper felt a chill go down her spine at the name. It had been over a year since Loki's failed invasion of New York, but the demigod definitely left a lasting effect on everyone involved. Tony still had the occasional nightmare about the wormhole closing on him; Clint still worried about losing control of his own mind. While everyone was working past their problem, they weren't out of the woods yet. Loki wasn't her favorite topic of discussion, but she would be there for Thor if he needed someone to listen to him. "Has he done something?" Pepper questioned.

"In a sense, yes," Thor replied. "My brother refuses to speak to anyone. Not me, or father, or mother. Food is brought to him, but he refuses to eat it. He wastes away before my very eyes; I cannot bare to watch it, but I cannot make myself abandon him. I have failed my brother once; I shall not fail him again."

Pepper frowned slightly, resting a comforting hand on his arm. As much as she hated Loki, Thor still considered him family, still wanted to take care of his little brother despite all the destruction he had wrought. "I'm sorry things aren't changing between you and Loki," Pepper answered sincerely. "When you're an older sibling you always feel responsible for your younger siblings. You just want what's best for them, no matter what they do right or wrong."

Thor nodded his head in agreement. "I feel as if I am forever doomed to fail Loki as a brother."

"Oh Thor, that's not true," Pepper replied.

"But it is Lady Pepper," Thor disagreed. "I allowed my pride to blind me to his pain for many years; I was unable to save him when the bridge was broken and he fell through space. I was unable to save him from his descent into madness and prevent the destruction he brought to Earth." Thor hung his head, his shoulders lowered in despair. "Is it any wonder that Loki has denied our brotherhood and forsaken our family?"

"Thor, none of that is your fault," Pepper said firmly. "You have never intentionally hurt Loki; you cannot blame yourself for his actions. He _chose _to attack New York, he _chose_ to ignore your attempts to end the battle before it escalated as much as it did, and now he _chooses _to ignore your attempts to reconcile things with him. This is not your fault."

"It feels as if it is," he muttered.

"That just means you're a good big brother," Pepper replied, smiling gently. "Don't beat yourself up too much, alright? Maybe Loki will come around."

Thor turned toward Pepper, a faint smile on his lips. "You are a wonderful advisor, Lady Pepper; Father would be lucky to have one such as you on his council."

"But the Avengers would be a mess without me, but if I ever need a job change I'll apply," Pepper laughed, nodding toward the doors. "Come on, your food is getting cold.

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Reviews please!


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